MODULAR MULTIPOINT POWER CONVERTER AND METHOD OF OPERATING IT

• Main Authors: GESKE, Martin, BASIC, Duro
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.11.2020
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION

A modular multipoint power converter (8) for converting an AC voltage to a DC voltage or vice versa, and a method of operating such a modular multipoint power converter are provided. The multipoint power converter has a plurality of converter branches (9a-f), whereby two converter branches (9a-b, 9c-d, 9e-f) are connected to each other respectively to form a phase branch 11a-c of the converter (8). Each converter branch has a number of similar submodules (14, 14′), each of which is formed from a half-bridge circuit (18) with power semiconductor switches (T1-T4). The branch currents iq(t) through the converter branches (9a-f) are controlled in operation by increasing the DC component (Ig) of the DC current or the DC intermediate circular current (Idc) such that a unipolar current, preferably a continuous unipolar sinusoidal current, flows through the converter branches (9a-f). As a result, with the same number of submodules (14, 14′) per converter branch (9a-f), the transmissible power can be increased, the power semi-conductor elements can be better utilized, or the number of submodules (14, 14′) can be reduced while the transmissible power remains the same.